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accelerator

[ ak-sel-uh-rey-ter ]
/ ækˈsɛl əˌreɪ tər /
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noun
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Origin of accelerator

First recorded in 1605–15 and in 1930–35 for def. 7; accelerate + -or2
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

How to use accelerator in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for accelerator

accelerator
/ (ækˈsɛləˌreɪtə) /

noun
a device for increasing speed, esp a pedal for controlling the fuel intake in a motor vehicle; throttle
Also called (not in technical usage): atom smasher physics a machine for increasing the kinetic energy of subatomic particles or atomic nuclei and focusing them on a target
chem a substance that increases the speed of a chemical reaction, esp one that increases the rate of vulcanization of rubber, the rate of development in photography, the rate of setting of synthetic resins, or the rate of setting of concrete; catalyst
economics (in an economy) the relationship between the rate of change in output or sales and the consequent change in the level of investment
anatomy a muscle or nerve that increases the rate of a function
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012
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